Wednesday, 26 March 2014

Outside
Nowhere is the second album by Roman band Taproban and was
released in 2003 on the independent label Mellow Records. The line up
is the same as on its predecessor, Ogni pensiero vola, and
features Gianluca De Rossi (keyboards, organ, Minimoog, vocals),
Guglielmo Mariotti (bass, 12-string acoustic guitar, Moog, vocals)
and Davide Guidoni (drums, percussion) but here the overall sound is
enhanced by the special guest Alessandro Papotto (sax - from Banco
del Mutuo Soccorso and Periferia del Mondo) who took part to the
recording sessions. If you like bands such as Le Orme, Emerson Lake &
Palmer or Quatermass I'm sure you will not be disappointed by this
interesting work where the music flows steadily taking you across the
space. In fact, this is a concept album dedicated to the memory of
Russian cosmonaut Komarov and to all the other space-flights
pioneers...

Taproban 2004

The
short instrumental opener “At the Fifteenth Orbit” sets the
atmosphere. As you can read in the beautiful booklet, Komarov, aboard
of the Soyuz 1, returned to Earth after fifteen orbits around the
planet and this track tries to capture the feelings of the cosmonaut
before his return trip...

The
following “Outside Nowhere” is a long instrumental suite divided
into six parts. The first part, “The Mission”, features a dark
atmosphere and a haunting marching beat that develops in a kind of
strange bolero. It takes you back in time as a flashback, when
everything started and the space mission was planned. The following
section, “The Last Goodbye”, is warmer and lightened by the sound
of Alessandro Papotto's sax that evokes the strong emotions of the
departure. On the third section, “The launch”, you can hear the
countdown while the rhythm takes off like a glider: here the music
reminds me of some counterpoints by Le Orme... Next comes “Outside
Nowhere”, the fourth section which describes in some way the
feelings that an astronaut can experience during his long flight...
Komarov: oh, what a Lucky Man he was! The last two sections, “Return
To...” and “...A New World”, take us on the way back with new
perspectives and a strong sense of hope.

“Broken
Shell” is a short acoustic ballad sung in English that tells about
the sense of solitude and restless inquietude that seizes the
astronaut when he thinks of his ex-sweetheart... “Now my life is a
broken shell / I need a place to go far away... But there’s no
place that is safe from you / And in spite of my strong will / You
will be anywhere, forever with me...”.

“Il
difficile equilibrio tra sorgenti d’energia” (The difficult
balance between sources of energy) is a beautiful track featuring
Italian vocals that evokes infinite spheres clashing one against each
other, ruled by mysterious laws that, sooner or later, will make them
melt in a black void... “Long is the fighting between sources of
energy / One against each other / One against each other...”.

“veS
ml’ tagHach” (Klingon War Dance) is track full of obscure energy.
It features some martial passages, some exotic touches and fiery
keyboards rides. The title refers to a fictional extraterrestrial
warrior species in the 1960s television series Star trek...

The
following “Pieces Left Behind” reminds me of some Pink Floyd's
atmospheres and features some vocal parts in English drenched with
nostalgia. Feeling alone and lost in the space, our astronaut is
looking forward to the return trip because he has realized that the
world leaves a mark on you and you can't really escape from it... “In
this place is it always day-time? / Is it always night-time? / I
really don’t know / World, I’m coming back...”.

“In
The Deep” is a short track full of tension that describes the dive
of the space ship towards the Earth. The mood is dark and in some way
you can feel an impending sense of tragedy in the air. It leads to
the final track, “Nexus” that recalls the early works of Franco
Battiato. It features some beautiful sax lines and filtered vocals in
Italian... “I sent signals as I was moving between sound waves /
Visualizing my dream among dark interferences...”. According to the
booklet the voice that you can hear in the background is really the
voice of Komanov, but you can't hear the final explosion. As you
probably know, the Soyuz 1 crushed on the ground...

On
the whole, an interesting work with a nice art-work by Davide Guidoni
that maybe describes its atmospheres and content better than all my
words.

Dave
Sissons: While this is unlikely to top anyone’s “best of year”
lists, it is a pleasing work with much to offer the old school prog
fan. It manages to steer clear of the bombastic overkill employed by
Japanese proponents of similar music (Ars Nova, Gerard) and also
avoids the overt metal influences that are currently in vogue with
many Neo-Prog groups (Star One, Aryeon). All in all, this is an
agreeable album for all fans of keyboard prog... (read the
complete review HERE)

Sunday, 23 March 2014

L'inferno
dei musici (The hell of musicians) is the fourth studio album by
Oloferne, an Italian band from Chiaravalle, a little town in the
province of Ancona. This interesting album was self-released in 2014
with a beautiful packaging featuring an art cover taken from the
triptych called The Garden of Earthly Delights, by Hieronymus Bosch, that in some way depicts its content. In fact, according
to an interview with the band, this album represents an existential
choice: - on the album
everything - music, lyrics and artwork - symbolizes a full immersion
into the world of art, a true descent into hell, both for the
musicians who play and for the listener. The album is a poetical
manifesto of the musician's path, we portray an imaginary world
through the eyes of a musician who, by describing it, disappears...

Oloferne's
roots date back to 1999 and the
current line up features Alessandro Piccioni (vocals, flute, bass,
guitar), Giacomo Medici (vocals, guitar, percussion), Gianluca
Agostinelli (electric and acoustic guitars), Giuseppe Cardamone
(violin) and Marco Medici (drums, percussion). There are no
keyboardists involved in this project but the overall sound is rich
and all the instruments perfectly interact weaving an original music
fabric that draws from sources of inspiration ranging from Celtic
folk to classical music, from progressive rock to Italian canzone
d'autore. Well, an
album that I think is really worth listening to...

Oloferne 2014

The
lively opener, “Invictus”,
is an excellent instrumental track that blends elements of Celtic
folk, Vivaldi and Jethro Tull. It begins softly by violin and
percussion, then the other instruments join adding new colours and
musical flavours. The following “Danza macabra”, depicts a
strange dance under the moon where you can see skeletons and headless
bodies frantically move while sinners and saints play the dice of a
broken Fate... “Have you already heard the darkest note of such a
kind of music? / The moon will be queen of the skull that is
whistling... Stop your march, the danse
macabre is playing
for you...”. Then comes the short “We Have No Heads”, in the
same mood, where the band interpret in a personal way Traditional
Irish Folk Song by
Denis Leary.

The
title track, “L'inferno dei musici” (The hell of musicians), is
the main course of the album. It's a beautiful suite divided into
three parts that starts with a calm section based on an acoustic
guitar arpeggio... “Here with us you'll drink the music of the
spheres / On the back the sounds are shivers / It's the garden of
earthly delight that is waiting for you / Here your damnation is your
strength / Take my hands, forget your limits...”. The seducing
lyrics invite you to relax and follow the enchanted sounds coming
from a hurdy gurdy... “Cut off your ears / And wait for the raven
that will fetch them...”. In the second section the rhythm rises
while the dream becomes a nightmare and you risk to get lost in a
ring-around-the-rosey, you're surrounded by satyrs and feeling like a smiling crucifix on
the verge of madness, sentenced to the gallows with your harp as a
scaffold. An excellent instrumental part concludes the suite.

“Soldati
di memoria” (Soldiers of memory) is a folk ballad veined of
electricity that conjures up the ghosts of unknown soldiers, victims
of useless battles, slaves of blood and glory. They're the forgotten
children of a dream that the music brings back to life... “Fragments
of mud, fragments of history / Drops of dew wake the memory up... Now
they're dreaming dancing stars / They are drops of air tightened in a
single note...”.

Then
comes “Impressioni di settembre” (Impressions of September) a
PFM's cover interpreted with good personality where violin and electric
guitar play in turn the role of Moog. The last track, “Profezie del
tempo” (Prophecies of Time), is a sweet acoustic ballad, a kind of
timeless prayer celebrating music and harmony... “Don't ask me why
/ My God is the wind / Do not heed Time's prophecies... Caress the
string of that fiddle / An ancient sound will show us the way / Time
and space are trunks and chains / That a flute can lift up and
transform into snow...”. Well, a splendid finale for a very nice
piece of art!

Saturday, 22 March 2014

“Vibrazioni
liquide” (Liquid vibrations), Malaavia’s second album, is mainly
the brainchild of Pas Scarpato, bassist, guitarist, vocalist,
composer, lyricist and only founder member in the present line-up of
the band that now features also Joe La Viola (flute, sax, oboe,
cymbals), Helèna Biagioni (vocals), Jacov Leone (drums), Sebastiano
Mazzoleni (keyboards) and Donato Zoppo (narrative vocals). With the
help of some guest musicians, in 2008 they recorded this concept
album full of spirituality, inviting you to search for higher levels
of knowledge and wisdom. “Vibrations shake and make the walls
inside you crumble... You have to be liquid... You can find the truth
only inside you!”. The result, in my opinion, is definitely better
than Malaavia’s debut album. The music has a strong Mediterranean
flavour and it could recall bands as Abash or Radiodervish but you
can also feel the love of the band for classic prog masters as Le
Orme, BMS and PFM...

The
opener “Deus dementat?” is a beautiful instrumental where
acoustic “ethnic” elements blend with a powerful electric guitar
and it could recall some works of Al Di Meola... It’s a perfect
introduction for the excellent second track “Lakmidi” that begins
with a Middle Eastern melody. The interaction of Pas Scarpato, Sophya
Baccini and Helèna Biagioni vocals is perfect and the “musical
fabric” extremely rich (there’s even a didgeridoo!). The lyrics
are about the mysterious people of Lakhmidis, their cruel rites and
prayers... “They pass by like killing wolves shadows, silently /
What a traffic of camels, Bedouins, women, slaves / And they don’t
talk / And they don’t laugh... Every now and again they stop and
pray when the night is falling...”.

The
next track, “Listen To The Voices”, is like a delicate,
bittersweet, multiethnic and melodic prayer... “Voices spreading in
the air of the evening / Voices that you can hear from here / They
sing the sad litany of a prayer... Shemà shemà Israel / Listen to
the voices today...”. The vocals in the dialect of Naples by Gianni
Lamagna (Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare) give additional value to
this invocation for freedom.

The
long “Vagando” (Wandering) features a darker atmosphere with
vintage keyboards and melancholic vocals that come out as if
“wandering in the shadows” and lead to the next track “La rosa”
(The rose) on the notes of a solitary sax... After a short
instrumental intro the dreamy vocals of Helèna Biagioni soar
bringing hope and light... “New eyes for the invisible / New ears
for the inaudible / New senses for what you can’t gather... The
rose of the desert leads you to the laws of light...”.

Malaavia 2008

“Il
cedro” (The Cedar) is a beautiful acoustic ballad featuring lyrics
taken from the Bible (Ezekiel 17: 22,24). “I myself will take a
shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a
tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty
mountain. On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will
produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of
every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of
its branches. All the trees of the field will know that I the Lord
bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up
the green tree and make the dry tree flourish...”.

“Elevazione
(recitativo)” (Elevation) is another acoustic track featuring a
beautiful melodic part of oboe and spoken words full of hope... “One
day you will slowly see what the sky is and you will touch it with
your hands... Open your arms to the infinite...”. On the sound of a
bell then comes “Salmo di Lode Universale”, a hymn in Latin taken
from the Christian tradition and musically inspired by Monteverdi.

The
last track is an excellent long suite in five parts, “Stati
superiori (suite in 5 movimenti)”, where the music tries to
describe a kind of spiritual path leading from “Crisis” to
“Sleep”, from the “Spirit Awakening” to “Beatitude”
through a new beginning... “The time is coming / Open the doors of
your night / Show the light to your shadows...”.

Friday, 21 March 2014

Malaavia
began life in Naples in 1998 on the initiative of Pas Scarpato. After
some line up changes and a good live activity, in 2004 the band
released a début album on the independent label Ma.Ra.Cash., Danze
d'incenso, with a line up featuring Pas Scarpato (bass, guitars,
vocals), Oderigi Lusi (organ, piano, keyboards, synthesizers,
accordion, backing vocals), Lucio Fontana (drums), Solimena Casoria
(flute, vocals) and Egidio Napolitano (percussion) plus numerous
prestigious guests such as Michele Mutti (synthesizer, from La Torre
dell'Alchimista), Lino Vairetti (vocals, from Osanna) or Giovanni
Mauriello (vocals, from Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare) just to
name but a few. The result is an interesting album, very rich in
ideas but where, in my opinion, is difficult to separate the wheat
from the chaff. You can recognize many different influences ranging
from Le Orme to Osanna, from classical music to ragtime, from disco
music to rap, but the blending is not always convincing. The album is
divided into three long suites where you can find some brilliant
passages but also some weak points that risk to spoil the pleasure of
listening to it.

Malaavia 2000

The
opener “Sequenza prima: delle danze” (First sequence: of the
dances) begins with a very promising instrumental part, “Preludio
di luna piena” (Prelude of full moon), featuring classical
influences and a dreamy mood, then comes “Abraham, where is the
land?”, with lyrics swinging from Italian to English to Neapolitan
dialect evoking the contradictions of the tormented countries of
Middle-East, a promised land ravaged by war and culture clashes.
There are some beautiful melodic lines with male and female vocals
and a raging rap break... “Panic and terror in the streets and
markets of Damascus / Blooding children who pay the horror of a war /
Land, land that will never come...”. Then, suddenly, the music and
lyrics take you across the Sahara desert to the streets of Marrakesh,
a melting pot of cultures, colours and sounds... Hints of ragtime and
ethnic sounds lead to the weak final part, “Kyrie Eleyson”, and
its disconcerting, horrible disco-beat.

album cover

The
second suite, “Sequenza seconda: della conoscenza” (Second
sequence: of the knowledge), begins by piano and vocals, then ethnic
instruments joins contributing to evoke some mysterious shadows
creeping on: the ancient shadows of life, harmony and love. The first
part, “Ombre” (Shadows) fades into the ethereal second section,
“Gnòti sautòn (conosci te stesso)” (Know yourself), where
reality becomes uncertain and beautiful melodies soar in a living
dream... “Gnoti sautòn, the truth is just inside you / If the
music will resist / Your soul will listen to new notes... An
orchestra will play a symphonic music...”. Unfortunately what comes
after is not a symphony but a disco-pop section, “Vie interne”
(Internal ways), that abruptly breaks the dreamy mood... “We are
the travellers of the internal ways / We are looking for eternal
truths / Wandering souls of the internal ways / We are looking for
ancient truths...”. Then a delicate piano interlude, “Softmoon”,
leads to “Cuori d'elettricità” (Hearts of electricity), a
section that in some way reminds me of Franco Battiato's works from
the eighties... “Animality, mechanicality / We are bodies / We are
hearts of electricity...”. A distorted electric guitar solo,
“Hominem quaero”, follows and a final explosion concludes the
sequence.

The
third suite, “Sequenza terza: tra balsami d'incenso” (Third
sequence: through balms of incense), starts with an instrumental
section, “Interludio sospeso” (Suspended interlude), featuring a
dark mood and a strong classical influence with strings in the
forefront. It leads to “Vivi nascosto” (Live hidden), another
nice section that recalls Franco Battiato with lyrics telling you
that you've better hide from false priests and easy goals, from false
paradises and sophisms... A beautiful, dreamy instrumental section
follows, “Danza d'incenso” (Dance of incense), bringing a touch
of exoticism and Middle Eastern flavours. It fades into “Mezzaluna
fertile” (Fertile crescent moon), a bitter-sweet part with lyrics
in Italian and Neapolitan dialect about the absurdity of the never
ending war that Christians, Hebrews and Muslims are fighting in
Palestine. Rap, Italian melody and Bach are mixed together with a
very peculiar effect. Then comes the sound of a gong that introduces
an acoustic guitar passage evoking a peaceful landscape, “Locus
amoenus”. The following section, “Canzone di Giuseppe”
(Joseph's song) is dedicated to the character of Saint Joseph and
reminds me slightly of the atmospheres of Fabrizio De André's album
La buona novella, recently reinterpreted by Premiata Forneria
Marconi. The conclusive section, “Coda di luna calante” (Tail of
waning moon), is a magnificent instrumental featuring murmured vocals
in the background reciting some verses by Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio... “Oppressed in love, in pleasure, the people of the
world of the living are asleep... O waning scythe, what a harvest of
dreams ripples in your mild and diffuse light down here!”.

On
the whole, I think that despite the many ups and downs this is an
album that is worth listening to. A mention also for the beautiful
album cover painted by Domizia Parri that maybe describes the content
better than all my words.

Malaavia:
Danze d'incenso (2004). Other opinions:

Thomas
Szirmay: This is another fine example of Italian proficiency in
progressive rock field, combining local and foreign influences to
create memorable music and exemplary playing. RPI is akin to Italian
cuisine, there are a lot of combinations, flavors and aromas that can
go into the pan, while still keeping to long held traditions...
(read the complete review HERE)

Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Le
Distillerie di Malto come from Ortona, in the province of Chieti,
and began life in the late eighties playing covers of prog rock bands
such as Jethro Tull, Genesis or King Crimson. In 2001 they self
released an interesting début album featuring original compositions,
Il manuale dei piccoli discorsi. In 2014, after a long hiatus,
le Distillerie di Malto came finally back with a brand new album
released on the French label Musea Records and titled Suono!
(Sound!). The current line up features Marco Angelone (guitar),
Fabiano Cudazzo (keyboards), Alessio Palizzi (drums), Fabrizio
Pellicciaro (vocals, guitar) and Giuliano Torelli (bass) but two
former members, Maurizio Di Tollo (drums) and Luca Latini (flute)
contributed to the recording sessions and are credited as special
guests. The final result of their work is absolutely worth listening
to and I'm sure that Italianprog lovers will appreciate it.

The
opener “Prefazione” is just a short instrumental intro with a
mystical atmosphere that leads to the following “Il guardiano”
(The keeper), a beautiful track that deals with environmental issues.
The music and lyrics depict men ravaging the banks of lakes and
rivers while Mother Nature, as for magic, starts to cry. There are
new dreams, new hands at work and new faces, then pains and tears as
the seasons change and rage rises. The soul of the keeper of this
injured Earth is in fire, the air is polluted, the trees are dying...
There's nothing to do, men are prisoners of their greediness and they
will never be free without any respect for their environment.

Album cover

The
long, complex “Il suono seducente del sogno” (The seducing sound
of dream) is an excellent track that deals, as you can guess, with
music and dreams... “Every dream comes to life in a magic castle /
When the day will come, go in and don't close the door / You will
find spears and shields, cold blood and mercy, the boldness of the
heroes and a soaring music...”. The magic castle of music and
dreams is a nice metaphor for the need of a shelter from the daily
grind, but beware! The charm of those magic sounds is dangerous and
you could risk to become nothing but a slave of your dreams while
reality looms outside.

Then
comes “Nemesi” (Nemesis), a track full of dark energy that was
inspired by Greek mythology. Nemesis was a goddess representing the
idea of divine retribution and this track tries to capture in music
and words the spirit of the righteous vengeance by depicting a
loveless sense of justice without light inside, cold and cynical...
“It is useless to anneal your strength / A body is nothing but a
heap of snow / It melts in the first sunshine / To jump higher, to
run faster / What does really matter is the soul...”.

“Rovescia
l'immaginazione e scopri la realtà” (Reverse your imagination and
discover the reality) is a beautiful instrumental where the members
of the band can showcase all their musicianship and where frenzied
passages alternates with calm, dreamy sections, heavy guitar riffs
with surging organ rides. It leads to the second part of “Il suono
seducente del sogno (parte II)” where the light, gauzy mist of a
never ending dream lays on everything... “This music plays inside
me / I will never run away from this dream...”.

“Lorca
e Dalì” is a long, complex track inspired by poetry and painting.
It features ethereal atmospheres and narrative vocals where words are
just touches of colour on the evocative musical texture. Golden
angels drink your soul while your eyes are burnt by dreams, you look
for a meaning but you can't find a clue, you can't find the key to
gates of dream and you get lost... The following “The Sun” is a
short acoustic track sung in English that closes the album with a
mystical mood and in some way takes you back to the starting point.

On
the whole, a very good album. Welcome back Distillerie di Malto!

Distillerie di Malto: Suono! (2014). Other opinions:Raffella Benvenuto-Berry: Though
Suono! (whose rather minimalist cover runs counter to the widespread
trend for elaborate, often fantasy-tinged artwork) lays no claims to
being a wildly innovative effort, the sheer quality of the
musicianship and songwriting set it apart from other similar
releases, and reveals the care and effort that the band have put into
its production. The music's complexity is never overdone, and melody
co-exists with intense, dramatic pssages, with a warm, natural flow
that makes listening a pleasure. Needless to say, this is a
must-listen for fans of classic Italian prog, and a rewarding
proposition for everyone else... (Read the complete review HERE)Michael "Aussie-Byrd-Brother":Not only does `Suono' offer incredibly strong song-writing and thrilling instrumental
arrangements, there's a refreshing leave-it-alone quality to the production that retains many
welcome rough edges. While it contains all the theatrical dra ma and swooning
sophistication expected of Italian progressive releases, there are so many moments of
dark impossible beauty, a creeping sense of unease lurking throughout the work, giving it
some grit and edge. It just may be one of the best modern Italian released of the last few
years... (read the complete review HERE)

Thursday, 13 March 2014

Egida
Aurea is a project that began life in Genoa in 2006 on the initiative
of Diego Banchero and Carolina Cecchinato, both coming out from the
experience with another band called Recondita Stirpe. After a first
Ep released in 2007 and titled Storia di una rondine, in 2010
they released an excellent full length début album on the
independent label HR!SPQR, La mia piccola guerra (My
little war), with a line up featuring, along with Diego
Banchero (bass, backing vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitars) and
Carolina Cecchinato (lead and backing vocals) also Fernando Cherchi
(accordion), Marco Garegnani (acoustic guitars), Claudio Dondo
(keyboards), Davide Bruzzi (electric guitars), Roberto Lucanato
(acoustic guitars), Max Mantovani (drums) and Antonio Losenno
(percussion) plus some backing vocalists. Despite the numerous
musicians involved in the recording sessions and the tight links with
bands such as Il Segno del Comando or Il Ballo delle Castagne, on
this work the acoustic atmospheres prevail and there's always a
perfect balance between music and lyrics. The main sources of
inspiration range from neo folk to Italian canzone d'autore,
but the musical recipe is sprinkled with a nice progressive taste and
Mediterranean flavours.

Egida Aurea 2010

The
first two tracks evoke some dark ghosts from the seventies, the Years of Lead. The title track is a beautiful ballad dealing with the issue
of terrorism. There's a warm empathy in the vocal parts sung by
Carolina Cecchinato while the lyrics try to explore the feelings of a
young woman who chooses the clandestine ways of armed fight to
express her contempt against what she perceives as a tyrannical
society... “I will carry with me your words, a few rags and these
guns / Maybe I wasn't made for love / Everyone who was born wolf will
never fly... The way of spiritual life is not disconnected from
action...”. There's no celebration of terrorism here but an effort
to understand why so many young people, both of the right and of the
left wing, in the seventies chose the deathly ways of extreme
political fight after fighting a tearing inner combat with their
conscience.

album cover

“Memorie
di gesta” (Memories of deeds) is a lively track that in some way
celebrates an episode of urban guerrilla. A mob charge the
police who have to retreat, a young woman observes the scene and
after an inner struggle decides to join the rioters. There's empathy
in the vocals but here violence is kept in the background as the
memories of that day emerge from the past like a flash of light that
cuts the darkness. According to their website, Egida Aurea's project
is not politically committed but simply deals with the artistic
side of an extinct past and an oppressed present, and intends to stay
away from the way modern world is run. So, it doesn't matter if
these memories come out from the seventies or refer to the riots in
Genoa during the G8 in 2001, the lyrics just invite you to reflect about the
reasons of such a kind of behaviour... “In these leaden forest /
Memories of deeds echo right now / In this anomalous day / Where
delay gives room to action...”.

“Il
passo dell'esule” (The pace of the exile) is reflective and
melancholic. There's a feeling of nostalgia, the lyrics are partially
sung in English and depict a man drenched in a deep sorrow who has to
leave his land on account of his ideals. Time flies... “No East no
West no lands to reign / No time to stay with you again / No seas to
sail no walls to scrape / But only salt lakes of pain...”. The
instrumental coda is excellent, but maybe too short!

“Gli
sguardi nel sole” (The glances in the sun) is a nice ballad about
time passing by. The youth is gone but broken hopes and dreams are
still blowing in the wind... “Can you stop Time? / When it flows
running after the wind / Into my memories I escape from reality / I
look at the sun, as it once was... / The wind is still singing / With
words that I can't forget...”.

“Lo
zar non è morto” (The tsar is not dead) features atmospheres and
rhythms that recall Don Cossacks. According to an interview with the
band, the lyrics represent not only a criticism against the era of
the Soviet Union but an effort to explore the poignant sense of
identity and nationality of Russian people that is so difficult to
understand in the Western World.

“Epifania
di una chimera” (Epiphany of a Chimaera) is calm and reflective. It
deals with social changes and new ideas. The birth of an idea is
never the result of one mind, that thought appears simultaneously in
a thousand other souls... “Already new acolytes are joining the new
vision of the world / Light of a new dawn, plague the curtain of
darkness!”.

“Egida
aurea” (Golden aegis) is an ethereal ballad featuring strummed
acoustic guitar and a martial rhythm. In Greek mythology the aegis
was a shield carried by gods as Zeus or Athena. Here the word is used
in a metaphorical sense, as a way of life to survive in a world that
is crumbling, where order and ideals melt and every resistance is
useless.

“Il
congedo” (Farewell) recalls some atmospheres from Fabrizio De
André's album Storia di un impiegato. The lyrics evoke the
final farewell of some losers, some people who lost their battle
against an oppressive society and now get ready to meet their destiny
on the gallows with a smiling face and an intact pride. This piece
reminds me of Alexandre Dumas' novel The Companions of Jéhu...

The
final track, “L'ultimo valzer” (The last waltz), features a slow,
solemn pace and describes in music and words an imaginary funeral,
the funeral of civilization that flows under the rain in sad day
where faith, ideals and memory get lost.

On
the whole, I think that this is a very interesting album. Music and
lyrics are tightly bound and non Italian speaker might miss many
nuances, but I really think that this work is worth listening to,
especially if you like bands such as Ianva or Il Segno del Comando.

Sunday, 9 March 2014

Timeline
were formed in 2006 in the province of Bergamo on the initiative of
Davide Tasca and Claudio Albergoni. The name of the band refers to a
famous novel by Michael Crichton were the borders between past and
present get blurred and their dream was to start a new creative
experience composing original music influenced by progressive rock
and metal. After a demo in 2009 and a good live activity on the local
scene, in 2013 they self released an interesting début album titled
New Dreams... New Hopes with a line up featuring Claudio
Albergoni (guitar), Davide Tasca (bass), Daniele Cattaneo
(keyboards), Stefano Bruzzi (drums) and Maurizio Jacopo Andriolo
(vocals). The result of their efforts is a good mix of influences
ranging from the classic masters of prog from the seventies to newer
bands with a sharper edge.

The
nice opener “The Birth Of Man” is a long, complex suite divided
into three parts. It's sung in English and the music and lyrics deal
with environmental issues depicting in a visionary way the evolution
of humankind. It begins with The Creation Of The Earth, an
instrumental part featuring an excellent interaction between
keyboards and guitars that leads to the middle section, Mother
Gaia, where the Earth appears like a beautiful, colourful entity
from space, queen of the world. On account of her boredom she gives
birth to Man. The final part, The Human Singularity, tells
about the evolution of humankind: from ape to man, from fire to
writing... But things go wrong and men, blinded by greediness and
power end up tearing apart their creator.

“La
mia falsa guida” (My false guide) is a short track sung in Italian
that describes a metaphoric journey through Hell. There are some
references to Dante Alighieri and his Divine Comedy but there's no
dark wood here and this Hell is real, it's just ordinary life on
Earth. The protagonist gets lost and there's no Virgil to lead him
along his journey to the centre of a hell that is wilder and deeper
than you can imagine... “Where is my guide? She is invisible / The
more I look for her the more I feel her glance distant from me...”.

“Wret2”
is a dark instrumental full of energy that leads to the following
“Searching The Precious Smile”, a track featuring sharp guitar
riffs and metal influences. It describes in music and words a
frenzied, nervous quest through the streets of a big city for the
most precious treasure... a smile! Then comes the reflective “Moments
Of Life”, a kind of short mini suite divided into five parts where
the mind flies through forgotten memories and the past emerges from
some old pictures.

The
long, complex “Un gioco di fiducia” (A play of trust) is my
favourite track on the album. It's a beautiful suite sung in Italian
and divided into four parts that in some way tells about the
thaumaturgic power of friendship and trust, a power that can save you
from the threatening, raging seas of life that can submerge you and
hurt you so bad to transform you in a solitary castaway. In my
opinion it's a real pity that the band didn't exploit more their
native language since the vocalist seems more at ease when singing in
Italian and the poetical, evocative force of the lyrics here is
stronger than ever.

Then
comes the anti-militaristic “Wake up... New Black Dawn” that is
divided into two parts. The first part is full of positive energy and
describes a new day under the sky of freedom while the second part is
darker and depicts a new, gloomy day where the masters of war rule
and you're living a nightmare under a bloody sky of slavery and
contempt. The conclusive track, “The Way Of Respect”, is in the
same mood and tells in music and lyrics the feelings of a men who was
injured during a bomb attack where a girl got killed.

On
the whole, I think that this work is really worth listening to and
that Timeline have a good potential. Anyway, you can legally download
the album and the nice booklet from the official website: so, have a
try and judge by yourselves!

Friday, 7 March 2014

Cooperativa
del Latte were formed in the mid nineties in the province of Gorizia
and in 1998 released a beautiful début album, “Il risveglio”
(The awakening), on the independent label Mellow Records. The line-up
features Gabriele Benfatto (guitars, vocals), Claudio Farneti (flute,
drums, percussion), Sergio Contin (bass, vocals) and Pierluigi
Piccoli (piano, keyboards) and their sound largely draws upon 1970’s
influences but despite the vintage sounds the song-writing is good
and rich in ideas. I had the chance to see them live on stage,
opening a concert for Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, and I was favourably
impressed. I think that the excellent art work by Ivan Crico, a
painter and writer born in Gorizia, perfectly describes in autumnal
colours the reflective, crepuscular mood of this work...

The
opener “Verso i cancelli della memoria” (Towards the gates of
memory) is a kind of dive into the past for a swim against the tide,
against the doubts of an empty reality. A church-like organ sets the
atmosphere, then the rhythm takes off... “Running after myths of
wind / Looking for a living star / Overcoming a world of falsity and
appearances... Listening to the silent voice of a timeless truth...”.

“Contemplazione”
(Contemplation) is a long, melancholic track that begins softly, with
a simple, nocturnal acoustic guitar arpeggio, then a light turns on
and soaring thoughts begin to fly in the wind... A sudden change in
rhythm and the call of an ancient time rises from dreamy organ chords
inviting you to set your mind free... “Who do you think your
greatest enemy is? / It’s your own home, it’s your own body /
It’s your own mind, it’s you / Free yourself from the monsters
fed by your pride and your stupid vanity / What is the road you think
will lead you to the Right? / Even your brain is getting lost on the
paths of solitude...”.

Cooperativa del Latte

“Notte
volante” (Flying night) begins on the dreamy notes of a flute and
of an acoustic guitar... “I’ve been walking for you / In the
nights of dream / Among breathing plants I followed the road smelling
of forest / Towards far bonfires / I was still sane...”. In dreams
you can even play with death but remember that dreams could turn to
nightmares... “Now there’s nothing but pain / Just powder shut in
a little box / You are my death / I live for you just because you
know how to make me laugh...”.

The
cathartic “Il respiro dell’alba” (The breath of the dawn) is
introduced by a delicate pattern featuring piano and flute. The
vocals are just whispered... “I would like to go down to the stream
/ In the early morning silence / When everything comes to a new life
/ To find again the warmth of life in the cool water...”. The
references to Le Orme are strong and in the second part of this piece
there’s even a particular vinyl sound...

“Tentazioni”
(Temptations) is more aggressive and complex and also features some
jazzy passages. Love can be deceitful and cruel, your unfaithful
lover could make you fall into the breath of an icy abyss... “Your
hand pushes me in the mud / Setting your thighs free for a new
trick...”.

“Maggio”
(May) is a short instrumental introduction to the beautiful last
track, “Indagazione strutturale” (Structural investigation). This
piece has a strong Renaissance flavour and starts “a cappella”...
“Like a tree in the forest of time or a cloud living in the sundown
/ I’m looking for something I feel I belong to...”. The lyrics
are about the eternal search for knowledge while the music could
recall some works of Angelo Branduardi with some “deep red”
acoustic passages... “I feel the weight of my pride / But I’m
walking with the curious pace of man... Before all knowledge I feel
my heart pulsing...”.

Monday, 3 March 2014

I
Marchesi Scamorza come from Ferrara and began life in 2009, mainly
influenced by Premiata Forneria Marconi and Fabrizio De André. After
a first demo EP in 2011, in 2012 they self-released a début album
titled La sposa del tempo (Time's bride) with a line up
featuring Lorenzo Romani (electric guitar), Alessandro Padovani
(drums), Paolo Brini (bass), Enrico Bernardini (vocals, acoustic
guitar) and Enrico Cazzola (keyboards). The overall sound is good and
the band showcase good musicianship and song-writing skills although
the vocal parts in my opinion are not always convincing. The
influence of the Italian prog masters of the seventies and Italian
canzone d'autore are apparent but there's no plagiarism and
the band managed to add original ideas to their musical fabric.
According to an interview with the band, La sposa del tempo is
a concept album sui generis where all the tracks are linked by
a common thread: Time. The lyrics are hermetic and their meaning is
open to many interpretations but the album cover by Giulia Pasetti
and Jacopo Regulti tries to offer some clues.

The
short opener “Intro” in some way sets the atmosphere with
experimental sounds and words that remind us that Time is nothing but
hope. It leads to “Sentieri di carta” (Paper paths), a ballad
that starts with a strummed acoustic guitar pattern. The lyrics
conjure up the ghost of a mysterious, proud knight without a mouth to
breath. His words get lost under his steps, ancestral fears begin to
rise while you think of flying free in the night. Dull eyes are
burning but everyone has got his cross to carry along his way...
“Words of lead, words of of flesh / Under the churches, under the
soles...”. The music is not bad but, to be honest, this track fails
to strike a chord on me.

The
following “Lo schiavo di Babilonia” (The slave of Babylon) is
better. It begins by a delicate piano intro and features many changes
in rhythm and mood. The lyrics draw powerful, poetical images of
redemption and hope. Babylon here is a metaphor for a life of sin.
What kind of sin? Maybe pride, adultery, blasphemy or perjury... But
even a damned life can be redeemed by love! A soul that burns as
paper, a lost path on the side of a huge golden tower, silent clocks
inside a church... Images can speak more than a thousand words...
“The balance is broken on the weight of the heart / Time is just a
hope...”.

“L’uomo
dall’ombra lunga” (The man with a long shadow) is reflective and
melancholic. It draws the imagine of a man lost in his thoughts,
ready to challenge his fate at every crossroad, following his
meaningless dreams while his life slides away and stretches out
behind him like his shadow.

The
following “Un passo ogni parola” (One step on every word) begins
softly with a mysterious atmosphere, then the rhythm rises and every
now and again reminds me of Premiata Forneria Marconi. The lyrics
depict an imaginary dialogue between a man and a poet about pain and
fear, shadows and lights, good and evil. It's getting dark and
they're walking along a solitary road, carried away by their
feelings... “Poet, do not cry / There's already someone who's
crying for you... Step after step you'll see the sun again along with
me...”.

Marchesi Scamorza 2012

“Quelle
volte” (Those times) is a simple, melodic track about hope and
dreams. The lyrics invite you to never give up when you're feeling
blue. When you're waiting in vain for a saviour, you have to open
your heart and try to imagine a better world and follow your
dreams... In my opinion this is the weakest track on the whole album.

“Il
castello delle stagioni” (The castle of the seasons) is definitely
better. It's a long, complex piece that begins with a nice acoustic
guitar passage and the sound of a storm in the background. The lyrics
tell about a young woman who lies in a castle where Time stands still
and memories run free... “In a distant place lies a bride / Golden
tears and dancing lights / Love thoughts of a thousand colours...”.
Just a beautiful, timeless dream!

“Nelle
notti più lontane” (In the most distant nights) tells of another
dream where you can see a white ship sailing across the ocean. It's a
piano ballad that fades into the more complex final track “Autunno”
(Autumn) forming a kind of beautiful suite... Very brightly did
the moon shine on the night I answered the call, and I walked out
over the waters to the White Ship on a bridge of moonbeams. The man
who had beckoned now spoke a welcome to me in a soft language I
seemed to know well, and the hours were filled with soft songs of the
oarsmen as we glided away into a mysterious South, golden with the
glow of that full, mellow moon... Well, I think that this quote
from a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, The White Ship, in some
way can help to describe the content of the last two pieces, a kind
of fairy tale where you can find madness and fear, hope and dreams...
“Who knows what's the light of the world / This purity that turns
around us / Please, take me away with these Autumn leaves...”.

On
the whole this album is not flawless but features some really good
tracks and it's worth listening to. In my opinion, this young band
have a great potential and I'm looking forward to their next album.

Marchesi
Scamorza: La sposa del tempo (2012). Other opinions:

Michael
“Aussie-Byrd-Brother”: The album is far from perfect. In some
spots there's probably too many vocal sections, and Bernardini
occasionally has a monotonous and flat range. Sometimes he nails it,
other times he's a bit strained, but it shows a refreshing honesty
and says a lot about how the band support each other. I have no doubt
he will keep improving, because on his best tracks here he's
extremely effective. Some listeners will find the mix of different
genres a bit frustrating, but most likely their next release will
hopefully focus a little more on one particular style and really
offer us more on an idea where they're headed. But I also have a
feeling some will really love the diversity and range the band has
shown here and greatly enjoy the album... (read the complete
review HERE)